Ever feel like all you do is work, and then more work? Do you watch your children playing and laughing, longing to have the days of childhood back?
I had what seems like the longest week and realized that summer is almost over. I need to laugh and play with my son like I did when I was a child. Who says you can’t be silly when your 41 years old?
Today we played in the sprinklers at the Post Office.
Not planned, just a totally random thing. We went to check the P.O. Box and he noticed that the sprinkler was broken and shooting water all over. I looked at him and said, “You’re already in your swimsuit …”
Today my son and I laughed.
Today we rocked out in the car to Taylor Swift on Radio Disney. Music blasting, windows down, singing our hearts out. She wears high heels, I wear sneakers, she’s cheer captain, and I’m on the bleachers …
Today we played.
Today I was a child.
And I loved every minute of it.
When was the last time you played in the sprinklers?
Last day of summer vacation. So far two days and two parks … can we make it three parks in three days?
Of course we can … how could we drive right past one of Dylan’s favorite places and not stop?
Besides animals, my son is addicted to all things LEGO … and his face lights up every time we visit LEGOLAND California!
First stop, The Studio Store, to see what new STAR WARS items might be available. He didn’t even make it into the store before he spotted something he wanted. I foresee a very clean room in his future to earn enough money to buy this one!
However, he did have enough money to buy a coveted Lego Minifigure. Of course, we had to open it right away to see which one it was. (more…)
Well, sure … if you’re talking about the delicious Icicles Gourmet Frozen Yogurt! For those you not familiar with Icicles, they are the go-to place for kids of all ages in my neighborhood. The other night I decided to surprise Dylan with a trip to Icicles after dinner and thought, “hey, I could write a blog post about this”
So here it is …
So many decisions … which flavor will he choose?
They had tons of new flavors … Georgia Peach, Peanut Butter, Red Velvet, Raspberry, and of course the classics like Cake Batter, Euro Tart, Chocolate and Vanilla. Dylan went with a mixture of Vanilla and Red Velvet.
Now that he had his frozen yogurt it was time to select a topping. Oh my, so many decisions!
Fresh Fruit
Granola, Peanuts …
Nerds, Gummies …
Chocolate Chips, Cookies, and of course Rainbow Sprinkles!
And for those with a real sweet tooth, they have these!
I went with a combination of the new Georgia Peach and Cake Batter (plain, no toppings) and we got a cup of Peanut Butter topped with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups as a surprise for Grandma and Grandpa.
I love that you can get as much or as little as you want. How much you spend depends on how much frozen yogurt is in your cup. The self-serve is great for saving money and kids love making their own! Only $.39 an ounce.
I love using my prepaid gift cards too! Dylan won an Icicles gift card last year at school and today we used it to pay for our treats! Oh, did I mention they also have a Loyalty Card? Each time you buy a cup of Icicles Frozen Yogurt they stamp your card. After you buy 9 cups, the 10th cup is free!
Woo-hoo! Our next cup is Free!
Snow in August … in Southern California … NO, but Icicles in August … Always!
A few weeks ago Dylan and I packed our bags for a fun-filled vacation in San Diego. The goal was to leave all computers and work at home and just have fun! Three parks in three days – World Famous San Diego Zoo, Sea World San Diego, and Legoland California – can we do it? Of course we can, we have annual passes to all three! Nothing was going to stand in our way.
We left home early on a Tuesday morning and drove straight to the San Diego Zoo. Yes, we were just there last month, but this time we were on a mission … to see the baby tiger cubs!
We walked right to the Lost Forest, but sadly, the tiger cubs were not out on exhibit this morning. However, there is always something to learn when you are at the San Diego Zoo!
Did you know that you can find parts of the Rain Forest in your Cupboard? All of the products in this display come from some sort of plant found in the Amazon Rain Forest.
From Tiger Trail, we headed to Hippo Trail and we got to watch the Momma and Baby Hippo play for about 20 minutes!
We even managed to get his cute video of the Momma Hippo teaching the Baby a thing or two.
Dylan loves the area by the Hippo exhibit. He always wants to climb in the tree and pose for pictures on the bronze hippo sculpture. I think I have about 20 pictures on this hippo (spanning over 6 years) Yes, I guess you can say we go to the zoo often … but it’s always worth it to see the look on Dylan’s face when he is near animals.
Now as much as Dylan loves our next stop, I normally choose to wait outside … but he begged me to come inside the Insect House. The least I could do was take some pictures for him.
And if this wasn’t enough to show how much I love my child, we headed over to the Reptile House next! However, this time I stayed on the outer edge and handed the camera over to Dylan. These are a few of the pictures he took.
There was one little guy that I thought was kinda cool though … well, maybe not so little.
Green Tree Frog
Feeling a little hungry after the long drive and walking around the zoo for 3 hours we stopped at the Safari Kitchen for lunch. They have the best burgers! Not to mention some brightly colored neighbors.
Dylan was so excited about staying in a hotel (it’s the little things you know) that we decided to drive over to the hotel and check-in, give our feet a rest, and maybe hit Sea World for some night time fireworks!
Dylan recently finished a 2 week summer camp at the Environmental Nature Center (ENC) and he had a blast! This was his second year attending the ENC’s Summer Nature Camp and I know he will do it again next year. The ENC offers four different 2-week sessions and if Dylan had his way he would be attending all of them. Lori Whalen is the Director of Education and she is the best!
Photo courtesy of ENC
The camp is from 9 am – 1 pm and the ENC also offers an after camp program that goes until 3 pm. Crafts, nature, and all things environmental … basically, all things Dylan!
This year he went to Session 2: Under the Sea and learned all about marine mammals, sharks, fish, and everything that lives in and around the sea.
Photo courtesy of ENC
Dylan even got to go on a field trip to the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.
Photo courtesy of ENC
Photo courtesy of ENC
Photo courtesy of ENC
One of his favorite activities was making his very own ocean in a jar
And of course buying rocks from the ENC store.
My favorite thing he did was carve is own Orca with a chisel after learning about the Legend of the Orca.
If you live in the Newport Beach area, I highly recommend going to the ENC. The Summer Nature Camps are amazing and they offer all kinds of family events throughout the year. ENC also offers School Programs, Scouting Programs, Birthday Parties, and Monthly Events.
Be sure to check out the ENC website for a listing of this months activities … There really is something for everyone!
ENC is located at 1601 16th Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663
“There’s 104 days of summer vacation and school comes along just to end it … so the annual problem for our generation is finding a good way to spend it …”
Yes, if you have a child who watches the Disney Channel then you know this song. Phineas and Ferb are two brothers who will do anything from building a rocket to finding a dodo bird to driving their sister insane! All in the name of summer.
Dylan in 2D
Well, Disney has done it again and now Phineas and Ferb are inviting you to join them in the 2nd Dimension on August 5th at 8/7c on the Disney Channel. Of course the promotions for this have been spreading like wildfire and the games on the Disney Channel website allow your children to 2D themselves and star right along side Phineas and Ferb!
During one of the online games, Dylan was even able to create a custom screen saver and download a t-shirt iron-on image with his 2D character and Phineas and Ferb.
Custom Screen Saver
Will you be joining Phineas and Ferb Across the Second Dimension on August 5th? I know we will …
Rocks, Minerals, and Geodes – oh my! The boy is at it again. After getting a few rocks and crystals at Cub Scout Day Camp, Dylan became fascinated with a new found hobby. Then during his first week at the Environmental Nature Center Summer Camp he received 2 more rocks. It wasn’t long before he had to buy a little book and his very own geode to crack open.
What a fun way to spend the afternoon with him. We had the hammer, the newspaper, the geode, and of course the camera ready to go. It took us about 10 minutes to crack this little rock, but what we found inside was beautiful.
The crystals shimmered in the sun and what appear to be little snowballs to the naked eye are actually small crystals when you look under a magnifying glass.
Knowing how much Dylan loves to do research on the internet, we found a great site where he could look up other types of rocks and crystals to add to his collection.
Do you have a child interested in rocks and crystals? If so, check out The Kids Corner at Rock Crystals site.
But we were just there. Oh wait, that was 6 weeks ago.
Yes, it must be time for another visit. Besides, this time was different because our friend Paul was coming down from Big Bear and going with us. Boy, if I had only known what I was in for with these two goofballs!
Anything and everything from insulting Mom, to water-spitting fights, to jumping out and scary each other, to attempting to ‘read’ the map and get us around the zoo with the least amount of back tracking, while still seeing everything!
So much for a relaxing day at the zoo … geesh!
As usual, we started at the reptiles and insects. Only this time Dylan got to have a first hand look at a stick bug. Thankfully it was only a stick bug and not one of the many other creatures they could have pulled out like the Hissing Madagascar Cockroach or the giant Bird-eating Tarantula!
Well, now that we’ve seen the creepy crawlies it’s time for a trek to see all the other animals.
Time to stop for some lunch at Dylan’s favorite spot high above the trees and monkeys. This is where the two decided to plan out our route … scary. Little did I know this was going to be a full 8 hour day walk through the zoo!
Although Dylan doesn’t remember, these bronze gorilla sculptures were another one of his favorite places to stop and play when he was a toddler. This is where his love of animals all started.
Now on to some other primates. Paul and Dylan seemed to enjoy these furry friends the most.
Getting up close and personal. Male bonding at its best …
This orangutan was hilarious. At the bottom of the glass was a piece of black rubber, like a piece of weather stripping or something. A small piece was missing and this big guy proceeded to pick up a leaf of some sort and start digging away.
His hands and fingers were so human-like. Especially the way he used his fingernails (if that’s what you call them) to pick the piece of rubber out and break it off. After all this work, he put the rubber strip in his mouth and decided it didn’t taste too good.
And what would a trip to the zoo be without Rhinos and Giraffes?
My personal favorite … the reason I go to the San Diego Zoo … Koalas!
Now, the last few times Dylan and I have gone to the zoo he has begged me to let him go on the bungee bounce contraptions they have recently added. Just another way to get you to spend money right? This area use to be a nice grass resting spot where Dylan would run around and play, but now it is where he wants to bungee … and this trip I let him! Thankfully Paul was there to help get him going higher and higher.
Just as I stopped recording, Dylan actually did a back flip. The look on his face was priceless. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. I think it surprised him as much as it surprised us!
We had a great day and made more memories of Dylan’s favorite place to spend the day. His home away from home with all of the animals that he loves so much … and his ‘rock’
I’ve missed my Friday’s with Lauren … her random thoughts are a great way to end the week!
My plans this summer include … spending quality time with my son. This will be the first summer in over 2 years that I will not have homework or papers to write. We will spend lazy days by the pool, at the beach, visiting Disneyland, Sea World, the zoo and many other fun activities. I also plan to laugh … a lot!!
The best summer I ever had was … the summer of 2009 when I got to spend time in my favorite place of all with Dylan … Maui. Taking him on the Gemini for a day of sailing and snorkeling was something I will never forget.
Summer is … my absolute favorite time of year! Anytime I can feel the sun on my face and smell the warmth of a sunny day at the beach is pure bliss for me.
My favorite summer food is … strawberries. I can eat them by the basket. BBQ corn on the cob is pretty great too
The best way to quench a summer thirst is with … an ice cold glass of water or ice tea. I especially enjoy water flavored with cucumbers or citrus fruit.
My summer uniform consists of … long skirts and tank tops. I also love a cute Hawaiian maxi dress and always flip flops or even better barefoot in the sand!
The best thing about summer is … the long days and warm nights. Oh, and summer means my birthday and Dylan’s birthday!
Share your random thoughts in the comments below or over at
Life with Dylan 
